Leadership Development

As autumn begins, the research team at the Council inevitably sees an increase in the number of foundations seeking data on the salaries, benefits, and administrative expenses of their peers. There is no more comprehensive study of these trends than the Council’s Grantmakers Salary & Benefits…

  Download the Presentation Slides Foundations use a variety of models in managing their investments. But given the pursuit of higher risk-adjusted returns, many foundations are exploring different ways to access the expertise they need and to manage increasingly complex investment…

In philanthropy we’ve long known that we play a unique role by addressing society’s most pressing challenges at their root. Our work is distinct from charity – focused less on meeting immediate needs and more on tackling the underlying causes. And we’re well positioned to take risks to figure out…

Jamie Merisotis is a globally recognized leader in philanthropy, education, human work, talent development, and public policy. He has been Lumina Foundation’s president and CEO since 2008. Merisotis is the co-founder and former president of the nonpartisan, Washington, D.C.-based Institute for…

It’s an ever-clear sky today. Just as it was in 2001. And yet ever-clear and jet trails slicing September blue-skies then are now reminders, important ones, of the events of 9/11 and the losses and learnings we have experienced since. Reminders of those we mourn can help us grieve.  Public…

NOTE: This post originally appeared in the Huffington Post. As a boy, I remember reciting the Pledge of Allegiance with my first grade class. We said it in unison; we stood together; and over time we came to understand what it meant. As I got older, I would listen to the recorded voice of a young…

Programming View all Sessions The content developed for the 2015 Finance and Endowment Summit was designed for the c-suite executive that oversee finance and investments for their foundations. The working group, with their finger on the pulse of what important to finance professional in…

Last week, I got to see philanthropy in action on a great trip to Grand Rapids, Michigan. After just a few days of meeting with philanthropic leaders in Western Michigan, I had new energy, new ideas, and more proof that collaboration is driving the field forward. I was grateful to have been invited…

Social change transpires at a blistering pace, in both promising and discouraging trajectories.  After growing up in isolation in South Dakota and cutting my teeth decades ago as an LGBTQ human rights activist, I’m gob-smacked and elated by today’s Supreme Court decision. This decision is…

On May 30, David Callahan, editor of Inside Philanthropy, published a short-sighted opinion piece on philanthropy in the New York Times. Given its reach, the Council believed that the piece warranted a strong and united response. Working with our colleagues who understand…

This week, American Bar Association (ABA) has selected the Council’s Senior Counsel and Vice President of Legal Affairs Suzanne Friday for its prestigious “Outstanding Nonprofit Lawyer Award” in recognition of “distinguished service by a nonprofit – in-house counsel.” This award is chosen by The…

Spring Break Road Trip with my brother and sister almost 20 years ago With Spring Break behind us, making plans for the end of the school year and summer is in full effect... and we want YOU to know about YOUTH PHILANTRHOPY ON THE ROAD! This summer and fall, we are mixing the best parts of…

All entries must be from a 501c(3) organization that can receive the funding. Multiple people from the same organization may apply, but only one entry per organization may win. There is no entry fee for applicants. Awards will be presented as follows: - First place (1 winner) = $40,000 to…

This week the Council released its 2014 Grantmakers Salary and Benefits Report. The most comprehensive source on national foundation staff composition and compensation, the report provides us with an opportunity for self-reflection about our individual management practices. It also serves as a…

Humble. If there were one word that ought to drive philanthropists, that’s it. I am not saying it is always a word that does drive us. I am saying it ought to be.  It can be exciting and fulfilling to work in the world of philanthropy, to collaborate and work with generous people,…

I recently had the opportunity to interview Emily Kessler, the interim director of Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy. In this interview, Emily shares how she got her start in philanthropy and what she is hoping to do to help emerging professionals and increase the value of an EPIP membership…